Anthony Davis was the centerpiece of last year’s Luka Doncic trade, but the Mavericks have been getting more production out of Max Christie, writes Christian Clark of The Athletic. While Davis has been repeatedly injured, Christie has developed into one of the league’s most reliable outside shooters. He’s connecting at 45.9% from beyond the arc after sinking eight three-pointers in Monday’s win at New York.
“Being in the zone, you are kind of unconscious,” Christie said. “You don’t really feel what’s going on around you. You kind of just are in flow state. Your body is obviously taking over. It’s a great feeling. Being able to make that many threes is something I’ll be chasing for sure.”
Davis is among the biggest names on this year’s trade market, while Christie looks like he’ll be a long-term foundational piece in Dallas. His production makes him a bargain at his $7.7MM salary, and he’s under contract for $8.3MM next season with an $8.9MM player option for 2027/28.
With the Mavs short on three-point threats, Clark states that they’ve been encouraging Christie to shoot them more often. His high success rate may give him a chance to participate in the three-point contest next month at All-Star Weekend.
“That would be sick,” Christie told Grant Afseth of Dallas Hoops Journal. “That would be a dream come true if I got invited to be a part of that, so I definitely wouldn’t turn it down. Either way, I’m just happy to be shooting it as well as I am right now. It’d be a great bonus to be in the three-point contest, but if not, I’m still grateful for the year I’m having so far.”
There’s more from Dallas:
- P.J. Washington will return for Thursday’s game against Golden State, and Daniel Gafford could be back as well, according to Eddie Sefko of Mavs.com. Washington has missed seven of the past eight games due to a sprained ankle and personal reasons, but he’s not on the team’s injury report. Gafford, who has sat out the past three games with an ankle sprain, is listed as questionable. Sefko states that both players were able to participate in a light practice session on Wednesday. Moussa Cisse missed practice because of illness and is considered questionable.
- A winter storm in the forecast for this weekend could affect Saturday’s home game against the Lakers, according to Mike Curtis of The Dallas Morning News (subscription required). “Oh yeah, that’s out of my pay grade,” coach Jason Kidd said. “We show up rain or shine. It snows on the East Coast. I don’t see them postponing.”
- In a separate story, Curtis profiles Matt Riccardi, who’s approaching his first trade deadline as co-interim general manager of the Mavericks.